‘I Get it Now’: Stephen A. Smith Apologizes to Jasmine Crockett After Accusing Her of Using ‘Street Verbiage’

Smith: “What’s up everybody? Welcome to this special edition of ‘Straight Shooter with Stephen A.’ That’s what I’m gonna call this, ‘Straight Shooter with Stephen A.,’ because obviously this doesn’t have anything to do with sports. This has a lot to do with a whole brouhaha that’s been going on with me um over the last few weeks. Now, I will tell you, I apologize for not speaking about this earlier. If you took a closeup of my face right now, you’ll see the right side of my face swollen. I had emergency root canal, double root canal surgery, and so I’ve been down and out and drugged up and stuff like that over the last few days, trying to overcome this stuff. But nevertheless, it is what it is. I’m here right now. I wanted to take a moment because I saw something disturbing in regards to President Donald Trump and how he came at Representative Jasmine Crockett. And I wanted to take this opportunity to attack this issue as it pertained to me and Jasmine Crockett because I personally have had an issue with how things have been misconstrued and misinterpreted. But at the end of the day, I have to own it, and that’s what I’m going to do today. And so when somebody says to me, ‘Stephen, rather than point to her and her verbiage and her language and how she talked about the president, what about how he talks?’ I have no problem with that. I can understand that. And if that is the reason that everybody is in an uproar, that is fine. And I have no problem apologizing to that to my sister because, damn it, I want her to know I don’t feel that way about her. Just like I didn’t feel that way about Kamala Harris. Just like I don’t feel that way about the marvelous, the wonderful, the incomparable, the greatest First Lady ever in Michelle Obama, in my estimation, or anybody else. But what we’re going to do on this show is understand who the hell I am and how it’s going to be as long as I’m doing this show. I have no problem apologizing if I’m wrong. I have no problem apologizing if I’ve made somebody feel a certain kind of way. But I’m going to challenge the legitimacy of what people come at me with when I think that challenge is warranted and deserved. If you came to me and you said to me that it came across as a bit dismissive, ‘Stephen, you should have been more protective of her because look at how he speaks, look at how they act on Capitol Hill towards her, I understand that. But when somebody tries to take that to accuse me of being disrespectful or in any way misogynistic, I’m going to push back on that because that’s emphatically false. There’s no truth to that whatsoever and I’m not accepting that and I’m not owning that. I can sit up there and I can look at Representative Jasmine Crockett. Do you know what I think she should be doing? I think she should be competing for the Senate seat in Texas or for the attorney general spot because she’s qualified. I personally think Kamala Harris should have ran for governor of California. I’ve said it for the record that if Michelle Obama was running for president, she would have beat Trump, in my opinion. I think she’d have done it. That’s how I feel. But somehow, someway, it’s never enough for some people out there. I understand. I would advise you to get over it or buckle up because I’m not going away. This is my show. I will say what I feel and I will do what I want. It doesn’t mean I’m going to be insensitive. It doesn’t mean that I don’t care about our community. A matter of fact, most of the trouble I get in is because I care about our community. And the reason I’m bringing this up and the reason that I’m willing to attack this subject, because this really ain’t about Jasmine Crockett. I respect her. I wish her nothing but the best. I was simply asking a question. That’s all. What’s working for you? Because I don’t want her to lose the prowess that she has. I want her to continue to gain and elevate. We need resistance to what we see going on in the streets of America. I asked a question. I get it now, with Trump feeding into that nonsense, giving him fodder and ammunition to continue to go out there and talk about our black women that way. I got it. I don’t like that at all. I don’t want to be associated with nothing like that. And I apologize because I respect the hell out of Jasmine Crockett and what she has accomplished. I absolutely do. And I appreciate the fact that she feels compelled to fight the way that she’s fought, the way that she fights because of what she’s dealing with. I’ve been a journalist for over 30 years. I don’t want enemies. I truly don’t. But I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to call it like I see it. It should be done respectfully. It should be done with the sensitivity that it needs to be done with. I get it. I understand. But I’m going to be me. I’m going to call it like I see it. I can look Jasmine Crockett in the face and say, ‘I’m sorry for any kind of noise I caused in your direction,’ because she is accomplished and she is smart and she does have an incredible, incredible challenge working in this political climate on Capitol Hill. I got it. And when Trump came at her like that, I said, ‘Damn it,’ I was pissed off because I said that’s what they’re talking about when they’re saying, you know, when you question something about her, it’s going to invite that. I understand. But we also need to be able to ask her questions, just like we would ask Kamala Harris questions, just like we would ask AOC questions, just like we would ask Gavin Newsom questions, just like we would ask Chuck Schumer questions or anybody else. That comes with it. It comes with it. The times that we’re living in, the times that we’re living in, the times we’re living in. Yep. Absolutely true. Which is why I was screaming to get our focus away from the cancer culture and identity politics and the kind of things that would turn off 77 million voters, which pretty much comes down to about 20 swing s — you know, 20 swing districts, if you really really want to think about it with these elections. But that’s a different story for another day. The point is, times are tight and the slightest little thing can turn people off. And in the end, as trifling as President Trump can be, the fact of the matter is, millions upon millions of people felt that he was closer to normal than the Democratic Party. What you gonna do about that? I have a right to ask that, just like anybody else. Especially since I want the Democrats to regain some power in Congress. I don’t want the Republicans having the White House, Senate, and the House. I want the Democrats to have some power somewhere. I want to help. I’m not trying to hurt. And I think being quiet and saying nothing and not challenging the strategy that’s been employed hurts us as a community. I have always felt that way and I will always feel that way. But that doesn’t mean I’m always right. And it doesn’t mean that I’m beyond apologizing when I’m wrong in any way, because I’m not here to hurt, I’m here to help, to do my little small part, however small that may be. That’s who I am and that’s who I’m going to always be. Town hall next month if you want it. Say the word. Jasmine Crockett will be welcome. AOC will be welcome. All of them will be welcome. We could have it right in the nation’s capital. I’ll conduct it myself. Nobody’s hiding because we’re all supposed to be in it together. Appreciate your time. That’s all I have to say. Y’all take it easy until another day. Stephen A. signing off. See you on Straight Shooter POTUS Radio, Channel 124, Wednesday night, 6 pm Eastern Standard Time. Until then, peace and love.”